Ah, the Proposal…”Now why do I need that?”
After reading my last blog about the “query” process and finding an agent, a fellow writer called and politely pointed out that I put the “cart before the horse” by not talking about how to write a winning proposal before trying to secure agent representation. Uh, yeah, …I almost forgot about the proposal – kind of like telling you to go see your banker before you have your business plan finalized and in hand.
My friend was dead on. Once you have clearly identified what you’re writing about, then you must write a “killer”, or really great proposal. No problem you say – I’ll just jot down why I know my book will be a best seller and I’ll sure every agent will agree. That’s what I thought too but it’s easier said than done.
There are tons of resources about how to write proposals, but some of the best advice for writers comes from Michael Hyatt, the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers in Nashville. If you don’t know already, Thomas Nelson is the world’s largest Christian publisher and we are fortunate that Michael lives and works in our Middle Tennessee writing community. My original proposal was based on his outline and for a first time author, it was invaluable in helping me think though some of the issues that up until that point I had not considered such as why a first time author is qualified to write their manuscript or how you can effectively market and sell your book. Michael’s advice challenged me not only to think about how my work would be received by agents and publishers, but by those who would be interested in reading what I would write at $24.95. Regardless of whether you are writing for the Christian or general market you’ll find this advice beneficial. http://michaelhyatt.com/advice-to-first.html .
I would also suggest you download and purchase his proposal format at http://michaelhyatt.com/writing-a-winning-book-proposal.html?isalt=0 .
The most important point I can emphasize once you have a clear and concise concept for your manuscript is your introduction and overview must be engaging and specific in order to catch an agent or publishers attention. I realize opinions vary on the most important components of the proposal, but as someone who spent a large part of their career in sales and marketing, agents and publishers want to know how large your platform is and how hard you’re willing to work to sell your book once it hits the shelves.
It goes without saying that there are tons of great writers out there, yet it seems only a small percentage are willing to aggressively be a part of the promotion process. I guess in the “heyday” of publishing all you had to do was write a great story and the publishers would do all the promotional heavy lifting. Although I remain a novice in this industry, I believe those days have come and gone.
Now back to writing…
